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Palladino: When 1 triathlon is not enough With video report By Joe PalladinoRepublican-American

MIDDLEBURY -- More than 1,400 athletes came to Middlebury this weekend as the Rev3 triathlon racing series returned to Quassy Amusement Park for the sixth time. On Saturday they raced for 32 miles in the Olympic distance event. Sunday it was the 70.3 half rev, which is a 1.5-mile swim, a 56-mile bike, and a 13.1-mile run.

Two dozen of those 1,400 did something a little odd, or, as described by a few of the athletes, a little crazy: They competed in both races.

That is two competitions, more than 100 miles, raced in 24 hours.

"It is a special kind of fortitude," said Ryan Heisler, 28, of Portland, Maine, one of the athletes who competed in both races. His times for both days were 2 hours, 33 minutes for the Olympic event (1-mile swim, 24.8-mile bike, 6.2-mile run), and 5:42 for the half rev. That was more than eight hours of swimming, riding, and running.

We caught up with Heisler between his dips into an ice bath. That should give you a hint about his post-race condition Sunday.

Heisler said that some athletes train to compete hard in both races. His plan was to go hard Saturday, then use Sunday as a 70-plus mile workout day.

"So, I suppose, calling a 70.3-mile event a nice long workout, then yeah, crazy might be the best description," Heisler said.

This was Heisler's first double. Does he now second guess his competitive sanity?

"I definitely wouldn't race Saturday as hard again," Heisler said. "It is a hard day, there is no mistaking it. It is amazing to see the personalities of the people out on the course. They are really rooting for one another, and that positive energy is why I love this sport and why I'll keep coming back."

The Rev3 Quassy triathlon did not have the world-class field of its previous races. Rev3 founder Charlie Patten of Virginia said that the race has switched its focus from professional to amateur.

"There is no longer a series for professional athletes," Patten said. "We've just switched everything to the amateur athlete. We are offering money for age groupers, so your average Joe who works a full-time job can come here and have a chance to win some money as well, and have a series where you earn points for how you place, with a championship race at the end of the season."

There were a few pros in Middlebury Sunday, like Malaika Homo, 35, of Ogden, Utah. This was her fourth trip to Rev3 Quassy. She was a top 10 finisher in each of her races, but her victory Sunday, in 4:46:00, which was 17 minutes faster than Hayley Germack of Philadelphia, earned Homo $500, "Which is the most money I ever made," she said. "My expenses are covered."

Homo calls Rev3 Quassy "one of my favorite courses, and that is one of the things that keeps bringing me back. I feel like I have never quite gotten it figured out. But every year has been a little bit better, and I am really pleased I was able to put it together today."

The first man across the line was Tim Maxon, 29, of Doylestown, Penn. His winning time was 4:27:43. Not far behind was Matthew Bach, 27, of Jersey City, N.J., in 4:29:16.

Maxon did it all without a watch, which "crapped out" on Saturday. He let his body tell him how hard to race.

"The hills were brutal," Maxon said, "but the course is awesome. It's all in the shade, and on the second half of the course, you're out on top of the hills there, and you've got the fields, it's awesome."

The Rev3, which was on shaky ground in Middlebury for the first few years, has most obviously taken root.

"The area is beautiful," Patten said, "the course is gorgeous, the athletes love it, it's challenging, and the community has come around. Now, everyone expects that we're coming back. There are people sitting on their front porch cheering people on. We're here to stay."

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